“A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Saturday to open the Boston Public Library’s newly renovated central library. The library’s first floor now features special new areas for children and teenagers. “It shows our commitment to the youth of the city, of the future, and how we’re going to help them grow, learn and expand their opportunities,” said Mayor Marty Walsh, who was on hand for the ribbon cutting.” (via WHDH-TV)

“At the Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library, clustered volumes fill only half of many long, red shelves; the rest stand empty. In the adult nonfiction section, some shelves are completely barren. The library, in Roxbury, once brimmed with books. But officials have been steadily culling its collection the past few months as part of a push by BPL administrators to dispose of up to 180,000 little-used volumes from shelves and archives of branches citywide by year’s end. Library officials say the reductions help assure that patrons can comfortably sift through a modern selection that serves their needs.” (via Boston Globe)

“The Boston Public Library, the first publicly supported municipal library in the U.S., overwhelming won LEGOLAND? Discovery Center’s MINILAND? contest and will be immortalized in LEGO bricks alongside other Boston landmarks when the attraction opens in May at Assembly Row in Somerville. A large-scale replica of the iconic structure, which received more votes than any other Boston landmark, will be unveiled this spring prior to the grand opening.” (via BPL)

“Boston Public Library received an award honoring its digitization work for Massachusetts’ Digital Commonwealth at the Griffin Museum of Photography’s eighth annual Focus Awards ceremony. The Focus Awards, held this year on October 19, recognize contributions to the promotion, curation, and presentation of photography. Boston Public Library received the Commonwealth Award, which is given to an organization that brings prominence to the local photographic scene. “We are honored to receive this award for our digitization work,” said Amy E. Ryan, President of the Boston Public Library. “It is our great pleasure to contribute to Digital Commonwealth and help increase access to photos archives, cultural treasures, and other historical materials for people across Massachusetts and around the world.” (via BPL)

“Boston Public Library’s Collections of Distinction feature eighteen of the most outstanding, expansive, and renowned of the library’s holdings. Behind the collections are the curators who can expertly describe the significance of all the treasures found within. The curators recently answered questions about each of the collections, including their favorite sections, surprising finds, and which audiences they may appeal to.” (via BPL)

“Boston Public Library (BPL) recently launched its much-anticipated BPL mobile catalog, offering library users instant access to its online catalog through Android and iOS mobile devices, including a mobile web browser version that presents visitors with a display specifically designed to fit small screens. “We are thrilled to now offer a mobile catalog; it is a valuable resource and option that allows our collections to be easily accessible to our library users anytime, anywhere,” said Amy E. Ryan, President of the Boston Public Library.” (via Boston Public Library)

Boston Globe – “In an era when libraries are suffering an identity crisis, it’s worth remembering that books once existed only as physical objects. The new pictorial history “Boston Public Library’’ (Arcadia) by the BPL’s Catherine J. Willis shows how much labor was once required to get books into the hands of readers. You’ll find pictures of conveyer belts and the large wooden Indicator Board that in 1867 told library patrons at a glance which novels were in and which had been checked out. Willis traces the succession of buildings that have housed the library as well as a number of reading rooms and delivery stations scattered throughout the city. And she takes note of the BPL’s role in pioneering the notion of branch libraries and a room reserved for children’s books.”

Boston.com – “In his decade serving as the president of the City-Wide Friends of the Boston Public Library, David Vieira has seen the importance of libraries peak and slide along with the nation’s economy The recent economic downturn has seen the Boston Public Library take on unprecedented importance to residents looking for a cost-free and convenient way to access materials, with the library breaking records for both book borrowing and website visits in the last fiscal year.”